How to Fall for Nico Robin (and how not to not let her figure it out)
by AuthenticAussie
Summary: It started with sitting next to her during dinner. Soon after, he found himself enjoying her sometimes macabre but always intelligent company, and it spiralled into meeting up with her in the library, supervising and helping her train, and making sure she ate during meal times. And then Koala noticed. That was when things started to go downhill.


When the Revolutionaries first ran into Nico Robin, she was looking rather composed. Even with three of their members caught in a headlock and another attempting to hit her over the head, she managed to convey a complete aura of control over the situation, and Sabo had to pause for a moment to take it in.

Once he'd realised that she was merely reacting like a cornered animal – attempting to fight her way to some sort of freedom – he immediately called off his fighters and she backed down, though she did look wary.

_She's quite pretty, _he thought absently, recalling information from her bounty poster and trying to not let his emotional ties to her captain influence his interrogation. He didn't want to accidently let a look-a-like that was only here to spy on the Revolutionary army onto their ship. Though she seemed truthful enough, over the years he'd honed his sharp intellect and knew better than to take things at face value.

When Luffy ordered his crew to train and stay away from each other, however, Sabo didn't mistake the quick flash of anguish in her eyes. She covered it in calm mask quickly enough, but it cemented his positive opinion of her, and he vouched for the archaeologist when she asked Dragon if she could stay with the Revolutionaries during the following two years.

He really should have expected that he'd get attached.

It started with sitting next to her during dinner. Soon after, he found himself enjoying her sometimes macabre but always intelligent company, and it spiralled into meeting up with her in the library, supervising and helping her train, and making sure she ate during meal times.

And then Koala noticed.

That was when things started to go downhill.

Not that Koala usually caused things to go downhill – oh no. She was a great commander, and an even better fighter (he found himself hard pressed to defeat her, most days,) but on the running track of people he'd found himself semi-fancying, whenever Koala was involved, things began to go rather horribly wrong.

Mainly because she was exceptionally blunt and had a habit of trying to set him up.

So when Koala noticed that he'd started distractedly watching Robin as she discussed battle strategies with the other Revolutionary commanders, and began cancelling their training sessions every so often to spend more time with the Straw Hat's archaeologist, she grew suspicious.

And because she wasn't an idiot (though he often wished that she _were _a bit more oblivious in matters like this,) she connected the dots rather quickly and cornered him for a training session, one he found that he couldn't escape.

He should have been on his toes the moment she tried to seek him out – however, Robin had decided to take him up on a book recommendation earlier that week, and they'd spent breakfast discussing it. He'd spent most of the morning on cloud nine (which probably also indicated to Koala that there was something going on) and the thought of having a nice training session seemed pretty good to him.

At least, until she got out the staves.

From his experience, when Koala wanted a heart to heart, it was usually while she was whooping his butt. Pleasant conversation was exchanged when they did practices on hand to hand stances, even if Sabo did end up with more bruises thanks to her converted version of Fishman Karate.

He considered making a run for it, but judging with how sternly Koala was currently looking at him, and how she'd chucked the staff into his arms, he doubted he'd get very far.

Forcing himself to keep his sigh internal, Sabo obediently followed after his blonde friend and sunk into a fighting stance once they reached the arena, Koala quickly following suit.

For a moment, they regarded each other passively, nary a movement betraying their intentions, and then Koala was a blur of motion and Sabo was blocking her staff.

Because of his practice with staff fighting as a child when running the forests with Luffy and Ace, Sabo and Koala were evenly matched. They traded blows with ease, predicting the moves the other would make before they'd even realised it themselves. In fact, very little would stop their staff fights bar an emergency. They could sometimes go for hours and when the two of them had first started out, they'd used to gather a crowd, betting on who would lose first.

Due to the fact the fights would last for so long, however, the novelty had faded and Sabo and Koala were left in relative peace to hash out any problems or issues between them.

So when Sabo saw movement out of the corner of his eye, he was slightly surprised.

And though the split second he took to see who it was would have been perfectly timed in a real fight, the split second after was not. Before he knew it there was the catch of a staff underneath his foot and he was staring at the ceiling, completely winded.

A quiet giggle met his ears, barely audible over the sound of his rasping inhales and Koala's heaving breaths. Sabo closed his eyes, trying to resist the urge to groan. Upon seeing his expression Koala gave a little giggle of her own, before tapping him gently in the side to make him open his eyes and see her hand.

"Why'd you do that?" he whined, knowing he sounded childish but unable to help himself. Unsuccessfully, he tried to force down the embarrassment of being swept off his feet in front of the calm and graceful Nico Robin, while Koala shrugged looking entirely unapologetic.

Latching their hands together she helped heave him to his feet, the hint of a teasing grin on her features. "Should'a been paying attention to me and the fight, burn boy. Not on the archaeologist on the stairs."

Sabo felt his face burn, likely turning it a bright red, and he grabbed his staff from the ground, spinning it and attempting to whack his friend in the side. It met Koala's staff with a sharp _clang, _and then the two of them were back to the drill, Sabo forcing thoughts of his embarrassing fall from his mind with the familiar movements of their fight.

When they finally called it a draw (though technically Koala had won in his moment of distraction) both were sweaty and Sabo could feel his limbs ache slightly from the exertion. Wiping sweat off his brow with a towel, and guzzling water in controlled bursts, Sabo saw Koala make his way from the other side of the gym.

Assuming that she just wanted to compare techniques again, he didn't make a run for it. He probably should have, looking back on it.

She stopped and crossed her arms until he put down the water bottle, and when she was sure she had his full attention demanded, "What even had you distracted?"

Sabo was glad she'd waited until he'd stopped drinking to ask that question. He was pretty sure he would have choked had he been swallowing anything, but as it was he only managed to splutter uselessly and probably hack out half his lung. "Wh-what are you talking about?"

"Earlier! When we were fighting and in like, the first five minutes, I got you off your feet! What _was _that, Sabo?"

"I don't know what you're talking about-," he tried to bluster, but upon see her mentally go through the fight again considered cursing.

"You- you were blushing. When I was talking about-"

"_Koala,_" Sabo tried to warn, grabbing his towel and bottle and attempting to back away from the conversation as quickly as he could, "I have- _loooots _of paper work to do, so I'd better be going-"

Latching onto his shoulders and effectively stopping him in his tracks, Koala stared him down, eyes boring into his own. Sabo had to fight the urge to flick his gaze away from her persistent own. "Tell me I'm imagining this. Do you _really _like Nico Robin?"

"N-no! No! Definitely not! I mean, why would I? She's just-"

"_Oh my God!_" Koala crowed, looking entirely too victorious for someone who'd only figured it out because he was awful at lying, "You _do _likeher!"

"Shut up!" Sabo cried back, attempting to plaster his hands on her face to get her to stop laughing so uproariously and grinning like a madman. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Oh my God," Koala said breathlessly between her laughs, fending off Sabo's hands and trying to stay upright. "I can't believe it."

"Nonono," Sabo tried to butt into her joyful crowing, "You stop that right now, I _don't need your help!_"

Koala looked relatively offended, snubbing her nose at him and crossing her arms, "Whoever said I was going to give it to you?"

"Oh, you're going to do it anyway, and then everything is going to be awkward and awful and I am _perfectly _fine like this thank you very much!"

"What, it's not like I was suggesting you ask her out or anything!" Almost as soon as she'd said it, Sabo could see her eyes light up with her imaginings, and she clasped her hands together. "Oh my God you have to name your first child after me. And if I'm not your bridesmaid I'm going to kick your ass."

"Stop getting carried away!" Sabo snapped, resisting the urge to grab her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her, "We're _not _getting married!"

"Who's not getting married?" Nico Robin's voice was slightly amused, and Sabo almost jumped right out of his skin, having not overheard her coming up behind the two of them.

"N-no-one!" he managed to stutter out, silently pleading that Koala would keep her damn _mouth shut-_

"You!" Koala chirped with a large grin, and Sabo resisted the urge to bash his head against the wall and cry.

"Me? Why on Earth would I be getting married?" a small smile flickered around her features, once that practically screamed to Sabo, 'I am dealing with children and their antics while attempting to look interested by their shenanigans.'

Okay probably with less words than that.

Clapping a hand over Koala's mouth before she could say anything else, Sabo offered Robin what he hoped was a reassuring smile and started to drag her down the hall. "Uh, it was just a- theoretical debate! On, marriage ceremonies!"

Robin blinked, the only real indication that she was confused at all as to why she was having a conversation while her conversation partner tried to make his escape. To his intense relief she didn't make to follow after the two of them and a bemused smile instead flitted across her face. "Well, I wish you the best of luck in figuring that out, then."

Koala decided she'd had enough once Sabo had managed to get the two of them around the corner and closer to his room. Sabo felt something slimy and wet touch his palm. He immediately gave a disgusted yelp and ripped his hand away from her mouth. "YOU LICKED ME!" he cried, shaking his hand and staring at it in horror, before trying to wipe the saliva on the grinning Koala's shirt. "I _hate_ you. I hate you _so much._"

"You love me," Koala said, shit-eating grin on her face, and Sabo tried to hit her, finally reaching his room.

Once in his quarters (and with Koala still hanging around him, almost determined to not let him out of her sight,) Sabo let out a groan and flopped onto the closest chair, casting a weak glare that she returned with a sharp toothed grin. "No. Nope. No way. You're _awful._"

Koala grinned even wider and gave him a placating pat on the head, making Sabo try and swat at her hand.

"Oh come on you big baby. Hey, let's say to make it up to you, I help get the two of your together!"

"_NO!_" Sabo shouted, picking up the closest book he could find and throwing it at her head.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm so annoyed I just had to crazy fix six different stories because the formatting <em>messed up so bad.<em>**

**I am so, so sorry if you guys clicked on any of those stories and weird texty fixy things popped up! I have no idea what happened!**


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